Sunday, October 12, 2008

The turkey is a-cookin' as is the stuffing in the crockpot. Mmmm.... I am a terrible granddaughter: I am not travelling 2.5 hours to my grandparents' for the turkey dinner with the fam. My immediate family is all in Disneyland and quite honestly, I don't have a whole lot in common with the others with the exception of DNA. I'm not sure if my fave cousin (with whom I share no DNA, but is still my fave) is going--they were in Edmonton earlier in the weekend and were awaiting a guilt trip from my aunt. Besides, I am (a) a better cook, (b) run on Sundays, (c) can control what goes in said food.

What else is new? Well, I joined Curves last week in an effort to tone up a bit and hopefully improve the running. I love the fact that it is on my way home from work so I can work out before stepping foot in the door. Yay!

Nerm and I are just hanging out, studying some histology. I ordered some CE courses when I was trying to get a job at the ME's office and now that I didn't get the job, my motivation for studying has disappeared. However, two exams, multiple choice questions, and a pass mark of 60% means that even without much studying I should be able to rock 'em. Going to S.B.'s tomorrow for that.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Big news: I QUIT MY JOB!! I have been a happy dancing fool since I submitted my resignation on Friday, September 26. I'm officially unemployed this week because they wouldn't let me take my vacation at the end of my notice. They wanted me to come back and work one day after my vacation. WTF?! "Fine," I said. "Pay out my vacation. I'm done." Their rationale for it is pretty skewed, too. "What if you hurt yourself on vacation and claim LTD?" they said. "What if I hurt myself on the day that you want me to come back to work and claim LTD? How is that different?" "Ummm...."I love being smarter than other people, especially when they realize it! Oh, and get this. They told me that I'd have to come back for one day at 1300h on Thursday, the 2nd. Um, did you not read my letter that was quite clear that my last day is Friday, October 3?

So I'm doing schoolwork, knitting Jorja's blankie, hangin' with Nermal and trying to get some running in. My new job starts next Tuesday. I can walk to work, it's still 4 days/week...money's pretty close. Really, who could ask for more? I haven't had a single regret about quitting, which makes me know that I've made the right decision. I feel great and my friend Alli says I sparkled at work (I never sparkled at work before) as soon as I handed them my resignation. WHOO HOO!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

On Sunday, Sept. 7, I had to say good-bye to my beloved Doodlebug. We had some good times together and it was time for her to go. We did it on our terms, though. Dr. Kim and Christie as well as my mom and dear friend Joanne were all here and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Coming home to an empty house was so hard. I have no idea how my mom has done it since my dad died.

The day before Kitty's last surgery, one of the strays at the clinic came to sit with me while I was waiting for her. Long story short, she'd been waiting 6 months for me and Kitty to come to the clinic. On Monday, Nermal Ruth came home to stay.

She's so cute! She scared herself when she caught a glimpse in the mirror--I'm sure she got a good 3 inches of air. She loves looking out of the patio window to see what's going on. No one at the clinic ever heard her purr, but she started within an hour of being home and she hasn't stopped since!

Here she is:

Lookin' out the window

Just bein' cute!

And now all of the leaves are turning and falling off the trees. It's so much fun to crunch through them! Melissa's is on Saturday and it should be interesting! I haven't ran since the day Kitty died, let alone anything close to 22K! Oh well, as long as I'm moving, I don't care.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Wow, it's been over a month since I've posted here and oodles has happened. After the fridge saga, Kitty got sick and my life has consisted of trips to and from the vet. Two dental surgeries, 7 teeth, 6 facial drains and too many syringes of antibiotics too count, and I think she's finally on the upswing. Her Cat-titude is returning but she's still not eating much on her own. Darned finicky cats!This picture was taken in May before she lost a lot of weight. Pretty cute old girl, isn't she?

Weight-wise I'm pretty happy, all things considered. My last official WW WI was on August 6 and as of yesterday morning, I'm down 1.8 from that weight. So apparently even when I eat my emotions, I can maintain a fairly stable weight. Time to kick it up a notch, though. My weekday running partner, L moved to Fernie this weekend, so I need to find a way to motivate myself. I'm exploring all of my options....

On the boy front, my e-Harmony subscription expired and I'm not renewing it. In the last week though, I made it to "open communication" with a guy who seems pretty cool. We're having tea on Wednesday so I'll let you know how that goes. I also went back onto Plenty of Fish....not sure if that's going to last very long or not. We shall see...

So today has been pretty lazy so far. I've got laundry sorted, and one load in, but I think I'm going to have to go get more soap before I can do much more. I also saw that it's only 21 days till Melissa's so I think I should go find some hills to at least walk up!

Fall has officially arrived here in Cowtown--yesterday the high was 6C and it rained all day. I'm sad to see summer end, but hopefully the fall will bring a healthier Kitty and a lighter me!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

My fridge was successfully fixed on Wednesday! Turns out the socket that the light bulb fits into needed to be adjusted so that the bulb could make contact to complete the circuit and the timer needed to be replaced (it would get stuck in defrost mode, which is why the fridge was warm inside). But the saga continues . Here is the latest email exchange:

Sent by me:

"I received the voice mail you left Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 1838h MST where you informed me that you would be back in Calgary in "the next couple of weeks," that we can "probably deal with the payment then," and that you will contact me when you are back in Calgary.

I understand this to mean you will be covering the entire cost of the repairs. Is that correct? The bill for the repair (including replacement timer, labor and service call) was $216.30 and the replacement light bulb was $2.09 for a total cost of $218.39 (see attached).

Also, please clarify which dates that you will be in Calgary and would like to meet--it is a very busy time of year when I am often not home.

Regardless of when and how this particular issue is handled, the Landlord & Tenant's Act requires that you provide me with contact information, including a physical location in Alberta (s.18(1), (4)). A telephone number where I can at least leave a message would also be appreciated.

If I have misunderstood any of the above, please clarify in writing by Tuesday, July 29, 2008."

To which she replies:

"Thank you for your email. You do understand correctly that I will be covering the entire bill, nothing else was ever discussed. I'm very pleased you had the fridge fixed on your own, although I was somewhat surprised that you had turned my repair guy away and asked him to leave. I understand he was about 40 min late but you should have let him in to asses the situation as I had requested. I do understand you are a very busy person, but there are situations that are not always perfect, so having some flexibility is sometimes necessary.

Unfortunately, I do not know the exact date I will be back in Calgary as my husband and I do have many details to work out prior to our return, but I will provide you with sufficient notice so you can fit our meeting into your busy schedule.My address in Calgary that you may send any correspondence to is XXX Everbrook Way [notice there's no quadrant of the city included in the address], T2Y 0A6. My telephone number is 403.xxx.2071.

On a side note, I am not sure why you have decided to change the way you communicate with me by quoting the tenancy act and quoting everything I say. In the time we have known each other have I ever mistreated, misguided, misinformed or mislead you? I believe I have been 100% honest with you and have rectified every matter in a timely and professional matter and have never broken the tenancy act, would you agree? I am very familiar with the tenancy act as I do have my own current copy and my husband and I do have other properties we rent and do work with management companies so we are very much involved in the legal process. If you feel you must continue to correspond in this way, that is your right, but I feel it is not necessary as I have always felt our relationship has been based on honesty and integrity."

Wowsers! To which I replied:

"I’m sorry if you were offended by my e-mail, but for reasons unrelated to our contract, I fully document business related phone calls. This ensures that both of us completely understand each other and offers an opportunity to clarify details or refute them if necessary. It protects my interests (as well as yours) and ensures that we are both aware of each other’s expectations and responsibilities. The language is clear and concise to avoid misunderstandings and if you were offended, again I apologize, but this is the way that I handle all of my personal business. Since we have a business relationship, this is the way that I will document telephone conversations with you—it’s not personal.

Laslo buzzed my front door at 1852h MST on Tuesday, July 22 (the door rings to my cell phone which captured this time), which is more than 40 minutes late as you indicate in your email. I had by that time already tried to contact you at the number you told me that you would be available at and left you a message informing you that I was going to call an outside repair service. At that time, I also sent you an email stating the same. I had not received any communication from Laslo indicating that he was running behind schedule, nor did I have any way of contacting him. I contacted Murphy Appliance and arranged for a service call on Wednesday after the technician had ascertained what the likely problems were. When Laslo arrived, he told me that he was late because he went to another property that you own because you had not given him my address. I told him that he was late, I had already made other arrangements (I still had not heard from you) and I had another engagement that evening. I had already cancelled plans to attend my faculty reception (that is held once a year) to accommodate him at 1800h, and I was unwilling to change yet another set of plans. I did not hear from you until 1245h on Wednesday, July 23, which is more than 18 hours after I called to tell you that I was making other arrangements.

Thank you for providing me with your contact information—neither of which I have ever had before (the phone numbers I have for you are 403-xxx-9026 and 403-xxx-1555). [Notice neither number is the one she gave me....hmmmm...perhaps part of the problem?]

My VISA bill is due on August 8 and since you are not certain when you will return to Calgary, could you please put a cheque in the mail for me."

I decided not to answer her question regarding her never breaking the act and not acting professionally, because I can think of at least 5 occasions where she has! As Cowgirl Warrior advised, she's obviously taken this personally, so try and soothe her ruffled feathers without stooping to a personal attack. Good side note though, she called just as the guy was processing my VISA. When I hung up, shaking my head and muttering about landlords, he told me, "When a landlord calls me, I don't take the job. They've inevitably tried to fix it themselves, made a mess of it and then don't want to have to pay what it costs to fix it properly." Which totally made me feel better!

Alas, now I am trying to breathe deeply and just be. I bailed on Folk Fest last night to go to bed early (I made it by 11, which is 2 hours earlier than every night this week) but I've been up since 4:30. I'm going to clean my kitchen, go through the fridge to make sure I've ditched everything that went bad, throw in some laundry, get groceries, have a nap and THEN get to the park for the party!

Sorry for the long, ramble. Thanks for listening! Have a great weekend.H-woman =)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

So my fridge quit sometime between Sunday night and Monday evening. I thought it was just a light bulb, but replacing that didn't work. So I do all this troubleshooting (which I think most people wouldn't even do), tried to call landlord and receive the following message: "The customer you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later." So I send an email, outlining what's happened and what I've done.

Long story short, she arranges to have some dude, Laslo, come at 6 last night. He didn't show! I tried to call (like we had agreed I would do when Laslo was done) and SHE WASN'T THERE! So I leave a message and then send her the following email:

"Hello XXX,

It is currently 1826h MST. I have just phoned you at 604-XXX-XXXX [she's in BC, I'm in AB] and left a message informing you that Laslo has not yet arrived and that I am calling an appliance repair service to assess the refrigerator.

This is the second time one of your agents has not been on time. I lost 2 hours of work time today between waiting for your call this morning and leaving early to ensure I was here by 1800h. I also canceled evening plans.

Please provide me with a mailing address so that I may forward the bill to you."

So far, she tried to call me at 8:20 last night (I was out listening to my friend play at a local tea house) but didn't leave a message. She also hasn't responded to my email.

Oh yeah, Laslo eventually showed at 6:55. Apparently she didn't tell him WHICH house (she apparently has more than one) to go to. Sorry, I've already called a professional repairman who will be here between 10 & 12 this morning and I'm on my way out the door. Funny, the first thing my guy asked was where I lived....maybe that's because he's a PROFESSIONAL!

Soooo....after much thought and number crunching, I decided NOT to attend Postie School. I thought it would be silly to take a $17/hour pay cut to not even have guaranteed hours. It sucks, but my new mantra at work is "Ohm, pension and benefits, pension and benefits." Still waiting for the ME's office...

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

OK, now I've got a conundrum. Canada Post just called. Postie school starts Aug. 11. I'm not scheduled to have a meeting regarding my current role in the LIS project until July 29. What's a girl to do? I also just found out that our contract is likely to be renewed with a $2500 retention bonus. F*@$!

Suggestions?

Oh, and I still haven't heard from the Medical Examiner's office, either.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

That's what it's like with holidays. Here one minute and almost gone the next. Egad! Where has my week gone?

July 4--D arrives from T-O and Mom & nephew and I meet up in Eau Claire for yummy dinner

July 5--D, Mom, Nephew, S & I all head to Heart Creek for a little mountain stroll, followed by picnic in Canmore. Picked up race package and start to freak out just a teensy bit. Why is it that a half marathon sounds like such a great idea...until the day before?

July 6--Up at 5 and out of the house by 6 to pick up C en route to start line. C and I have to stop at the Macs on Crack corner (anyone in Calgary knows exactly where that is) for Advil. Race starts and D, C and I are all in line for a port-o-pottie. New race strategy: wait for 8 minutes after the gun to start--there's no fighting with a crowd of 2000 people to claim your bit of road. D & I set off at a fabulous, quick pace but soon realized I could not maintain it for 21.1K. I did however, introduce her to the fine art of 10 & 1's (or as I do, run 1K, walk 1 min). Recovery is such sweet relief. D is the BEST pace bunny ever and we finished in my fastest time EVER: 2:38:56, a FULL 2 minutes better than Fun-couver in May. Went to cousins, S & L, for weenie roast and Stampede fireworks that night. Mmmm...s'mores.

July 7--Massage. Need I say more?

July 8--Space & Science centre and Calgary Tower with mom and nephew

July 9--Haircut (well, just a colour touch up), lunch (Thai) with Cath, then meeting with J re: yoga retreat. Couldv'e been better, could've been worse, but in the end, no retreat. Dinner with neighbour (sushi is so yummy!).

July 10--slept in, read trashy novel in bed with Kitty till noon, now enjoying chai and cottage cheese pancakes (1/3 c cottage cheese, 1 egg, 3 TB flour, 1 tsp baking powder) with jam. I'm going to my yarn store to finish off the baby blanket I made so that I don't feel guilty working on a new project!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

"I'm sorry about C. not showing, wasting your time and waiting for her!! I asked her to do me a favor by going to your place with the signed lease agreement. I hope you will make time again for her to come by, please let me know what a good time would be to set up the meeting. Thank you for the photos and report I will take it under advisement. Thank you very much, K."

This is after I've sent her an inspection report I did by myself since her agent didn't show at the arranged time.

What would you do?

I don't think I need to take more time out of my life to do this. She has photographs of the place and a report that meets the criteria spelled out by the Landlord & Tenants Act. Is it my fault her sister is a flake?

Thursday, June 26, 2008

So I took photos of my place, including all the things that need attention and sent them with this:

The inspection of the premises was conducted on 2008June25 at 2000h by H-woman without the landlord or landlord’s agent being present.

Inspections should be conducted when the premises are vacant unless the landlord and tenant and/or their agents otherwise agree. This inspection was conducted at lease renewal (at the request of the landlord) with furniture present.

- The blinds in the kitchen are soiled due to the lack of kitchen fan and need to be replaced.- The blinds in the living room are soiled from dust from the street and need to be replaced, ideally with blinds that open from the middle.- The washing machine/dryer is not level and needs to be leveled.- No other repairs or damage were noted.

Oh yeah, the best part: I emailed the landlord yesterday morning at 7am, and have yet to hear "Boo" from her. Maybe she's yelling at her sister....=)

Egad, I had no idea it had been so long since I last posted. I am alive and well (that's debatable--massive headache this morning and feeling every knot in my back that the massage therapist found yesterday)!So....what have I been up to? Well, on June 7, I helped raise over $936,000 for cancers below the waist. Here's a photo montage:

What else? Hmmmm....still pondering career moves and applying for things. Still also waiting for a description of my role in project I have been seconded for (told about in March, seconded at end of May and 3 weeks yesterday I asked for something in writing). Good thing I'm not holding my breath!

Marveling at the stupidity of all the people. Get this: at the Underwear Affair, they had to announce over the loudspeaker,"if you have parked your car on the railway tracks, move it or the train will damage it." When we drove by after the race, there were tow trucks moving cars. Really?! The stupid ones are among us, my friends. Beware.

Going to first (and likely only) Stampede party tonight. Should be fun! Alas, I should go find some brekkie--my tummy is growly.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I have to admit, I no longer believe that golf ruins a good walk! We had a blast yesterday at the Links for Women at Cottonwood Golf & Country Club. The photo is of our host for the day, the Canadian Ladies Long Drive Champion, Lisa "Longball" Vlooswyk.

Finished off the day with some sushi and it's all good. Today is relaxing and recovering from the weekend! I've got a massage this afternoon and that's about the extent of my day. =)

Friday, May 23, 2008

It's my new favourite pose and I intend to practice it and many others this weekend! Stacy and I are off to Sherwood Park for Kate's annual workshop. Bon anniversaire à moi!!

So far CalorieKing.com is a godsend. I've noticed that I'm not getting nearly enough protein in a day....hmmm....no wonder I'm always hungry! The true test will be Saturday morning WI, though. =)

I LOVE having a cousin that's a lawyer! He helped me phrase a lovely email to my landlord basically telling her that should anything happen to me &/or my property because they're too lazy to (a) put a sign on the back door reminding people to leave it closed and locked at all times and (b) install a camera to identify those who leave it propped open. Mwahahaha! I may burn in hell, but I think all of the fun people will be there anyways! =)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Dropping down to only working 4 days a week was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I slept this morning until I woke up naturally, not jolted out of deep slumber by the annoying ring of an alarm clock. A cup of chai later and I almost feel human again!

I was absolutely exhausted yesterday. I felt like I could lay down and sleep for hours at any given moment. I did come home and eat a healthy dinner (grilled chicken and homemade greek salad) and then went for a 50 minute walk around the 'hood. Running with Lisa and doing the Mother's Day run has shown me a whole new side of the area I live in. Walked past the park where there were a lot of guys playing soccer. A lovely view. =)

It's rainy and cool here today (6C) so I think I'll spend the morning tidying. My recycling cupboard is going to explode soon (especially since I started saving my plastics to recycle at my mom's) and I didn't get around to vacuuming on the weekend, so I should probably do that, too. I have a massage at 1 and then the AHT is coming at 4:30 to give Kitty her treatment at home.

I should also make a plan with my sister in law for the weekend. We're going to Sherwood Park to a yoga workshop with my yoga teacher, Kate Potter. I'm also trying to get together with some friends I went to university with that I haven't seen for about 7 years. We're heading back to Cowtown on Sunday night and on Tuesday we're learning how to play golf!

Calorie King is going well, so far. I really like the graphs that show my progress through the day. What have I noticed so far? I really like carbs (shocking, I know) and I don't get enough protein. That one was a surprise. So today I'm breaking out the cottage cheese for snack time.

I leave you with the words of Mahatma Gandhi: Be the change you want to see in this world.

Monday, May 19, 2008

I just signed up for a seven day free trial using CalorieKing.com. I'm going to see how it works. What made me decide? I read Shirls blog and a light bulb went off. After a brief email conversation, I decided, "what the heck!" so here goes....I really like the idea of it managing my food and exercise. Right now I'm tracking my running on the Running Room website and I'll probably still do that, but CalorieKing will automatically take that into my daily allowance.

Why, oh why, do people leave town and leave their alarm clocks on??? ESPECIALLY when they live in an apartment building? So much for this girl sleeping in!

Yesterday was great--8.7K LSD, brunch at Crush, Farmer's Market, open houses to look at real estate I cannot afford, a trek to Superstore (again) in search of the elusive dog first hot dog buns, a quick boo at Nevada Bob's Golf store to realize how ridiculously overpriced golf paraphernalia is and wound up the day with 2.5 hours of Corrie. Really, who could ask for more?

Today I'm going to tidy up the mess that has become my living space, and try and deliver some of my Folk Fest posters and brochures. I have to leave either (or both) at at least 50 businesses in my 'hood as my volunteer commitment. Then I get free tickets into the Festival and free food all weekend, plus access to all of the after parties. So far this seems like a much better gig than doing main gate security but I'll let you know for sure tomorrow!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

WI this morning reflected the emotional eating of the past week. I have 17 pounds to lose to get back to my goal weight. How did that happen?! My leader talked about journaling all those emotional reasons why we're eating and I think that may be key. And I'm pretty sure my shrink will agree.

So far, today has been great as far as food is concerned. Now, if I can manage to keep the rest of the week that way!

I'm off to pick up a rental car. I'm more than a little annoyed with my Folk Fest crew leader. She knows that I don't have a car, which is why I was assigned my own neighborhood to distribute posters and brochures. I had a brain wave this morning--will I be able to carry all of my supplies? So I phone. "Oh no," they say. "You have a box with 2000 brochures that weighs about 15 pounds. You'll definitely need a car." Hmmm. Would've been nice to know that BEFORE today! Oh well, it's typical of this organization. If it wasn't for the free tickets and food all weekend of the festival, I wouldn't do it!

Kitty is...well, the same. It's me that's having the problem with her failing kidneys. She still is her playful, cuddly self. The vet assures me that I will know when it's time. I'm just pretty sure I won't be ready for it when it comes. =(

Anyways, the sun is shining (finally) and I should get out there and enjoy it! There may even be a patio with my name on it somewhere....

Had a meeting this morning to protect my intellectual property that actually went better than I thought. My manager (who I'm not overly fond of) ooh-ed and ahh-ed over my work, which is nice, but you know, it'd be nice to hear her say it to me just once without an audience. I think I'd be more likely to believe her.

Apparently Blogger has determined that this is NOT a spam blog and is allowing me to continue. I'm good with that.

Now I really must put my running clothes on before the run just doesn't happen.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I got to work today to discover that we had indeed moved from the Harry Potter room to our new and improved area. Do I have my own desk? Nope. J beat me to it today. So where did I work, you ask? Well, at a new work "space" conveniently located behind M's desk, beside the filing cabinet and between the other J's desk. Basically, I'm caged in. Bah!

Oh well, went to WI with C, then for yummy noodle soup, and off to the evil Wal-Mart. And now McDreamy is on.

Oh yeah, the front door to my building STILL hasn't been fixed, nor has the burned out light-bulb in my parking lot that was reported over a week ago. My landlord may rue the day she gave me her e-mail address!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sunday I set a new half marathon PR: 2:40:56. Sunday is LSD at the Mother's Day 10K and then the training for the Calgary Half shall begin.

I was forced to send a formal complaint to the BC Ministry of Health. Their complete ineptness is mind boggling. Due to some strange computer glitch, my BC Care Card was re-activated in 2006. I moved in Sept. 2002. So I thought I'd straightened it all out and now they've sent a collection agency after me. I called the agency last night and thought it was all kosher.

Phoned the general information line this morning and spoke to a lovely girl who pulled up the 2006 information and said, "Hmm...looks like we have everything we need to resolve this. I don't know why it wasn't done." So good. I get the name of the dude I was to send my complaint to and go out for lunch and the freaking collection agency calls AGAIN! Apparently threats of harassment don't even stop these people. I'm supposed to just accept the fact that the calls are automatically generated and live with the harassing calls for the 24 hours it will take to update my file. I DON'T THINK SO!

About Me

A thirty-something yogini, runner and lifetime Weight Watcher chronicling life as I see it.
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John "the Penguin" Bingham

Goals (in no particular order)

*Reach goal weight (again) 20.4 to go*Complete (Upright, smiling & uninjured!)Niagara International Marathon Done! 6:23:55*Floss Work in progress!*Practice yoga daily Work in progress!*Meditate daily Work in progress!*Get another tattoo*Read more Work in progress!*Travel (so many places, so little time)